Fail to plan... plan to fail.

Color Commentary for Monday, September 25, 2017 By E. R. Haas

"Some self-confronting questions: 'Where do I want to be at any given time? How am I going to get there? What do I have to do to get myself from where I am to where I want to be? ... What's the first, small step I can take to get moving?'" ~ George A. Ford

Last week, we talked about the importance of OPTIMIZING your precious time.
This week we will focus on the power PLANNING has over making your dreams and goals a reality.

If you are not on track to achieve this year's WOW GOALS, maybe you should think seriously about how well you make PLANS to support those goals... and how you can improve this critical area of your performance.

Look at your end of year WOW Goals Again:

#1 Oct WOW Goal: ________________________________

#1 Nov WOW Goal: ________________________________

#1 Dec WOW Goal: ________________________________

How's Your WOW Power?

Do you actually PLAN to achieve these goals?

The fifth Color in the Time Prism Performance Spectrum is Making Plans. According to our huge database of test results, this Color—more than any other— remains a serious problem for the vast majority of people (some 77% rate their planning skills only fair to poor.) Test YOUR planning skills.

The impact good planning has on your future is nothing short of phenomenal. Better, it is a simple skill to learn, remember and apply. (Today's Quote by George Ford lays it out quite nicely!)

Fact: A goal without a plan is merely a wish without a hope. There is no way you can accomplish something if you don't know how to proceed. Written plans are the essential instructions for how to reach a goal.

A plan is simply a detailed MAP outlining the steps to accomplish your goal as quickly and easily as possible. At a minimum, it includes a complete list of objectives and resource requirements—all organized in correct chronological order.

"Our goals can only be reached through a vehicle of a plan, in which we must fervently believe, and upon which we must vigorously act. There is no other route to success." ~ Stephen A. Brennan

A high commitment to this area of your performance suggests you have BOTH a GOAL and a PLAN. You're inspired enough to have goals—and methodical enough to develop written plans.

With a detailed plan in hand, you're already halfway there. You've overcome the fear and uncertainty of not knowing what to do next, and have a clear set of directives with an excellent chance of success.

With a detailed written plan in hand, you proceed confidently toward each of your major goals. (Remember, it is much easier to quickly take ACTION, when you have a PLAN to act upon.)

A lack of commitment suggests you are someone whose goals often remain nothing but illusive wishes. You rarely make the progress you'd like. It may not be from lack of effort.

You are working hard but too much time is spent on activities that prove to be of little benefit.

Lacking specific instructions, you have neither a clear direction for what to do next, nor any way to chart your progress.

Sure, some goals are being achieved by trial and error—but many aren't—and more are taking far longer to achieve than they should.

Some sage advice: Make Plan. Work Plan.

Before you get caught up in the week ahead, please take a moment to think about all the things you wanted to see happen this year... all the goals you wanted to accomplish... all the interesting things you wanted to do... all the trips you wanted to take.

The question is, did you?

If not, why not? Was it because you lost the MAP that leads you step-by-step to your dreams? That's all a plan is, really. A MAP that leads you from milestone to milestone towards the future you desire.

The sad truth is, if you score less than 7 on your Make Plans Color, you will forever struggle with the needless heart-break of being waylaid and lost on the road to your dreams.
-- E.R. Haas, CEO

If you have any questions you would like us to answer personally, just send us an email! Click Here Answers@ThinkTQ.com...

The only dumb question is the one that's important to you... and you didn't ask!

Running Member Comments...

#2282
by Peter-89837
on 10/15 05:50 AM

I had no luck with goals, was I lazy or misguided? WHO (Energy Motivation Attitude) sets goals, makes plans and prioritises. NOW, my goal is to be a stronger WHO, physically, mentally and spiritually. My priority is to be so INTENSELY myself, that my VALUES will become CLEAR and so my GOALS.

Hi Susan - Well - here it is: 1. live life every second minute and moment that you have - be the best you can be today - right here right now - plan to be the best you can be - organize and then execute !! plan and then execute - set priorities and then execute - guess the plan is to execute !!!!!!!! my very best to you and all of us - John R

I'm proud to say that I'm investing tons of time in planning...namely because lack of planning has never worked out for me. I'm currently planning my course schedule for my final semester in college, which job fairs to attend, as well as a relocation to AZ in 2008 after graduation.

On a smaller scale, it's essential that I plan my days because every minute counts. Between work, school, and kids I don't have time to waste.

I am looking for a job right now and a church to go to. I guess the two go hand in hand. A job that is right and a church that is right are important in my life. Maybe not the top priorities in everybody elses life, but it is mind. I don't expect myself to be like everybody else on the face of this earth. I am special and a unique person. Even my own children aren't totally like me, nor my brothers and sisters.
I make a list and somethings I erase off the list as I go a long. Some days things work out as planned and other days the schedule is interrupted, but that proves I have to be flexable, so I don't break.
Thanks Donna

Alot. But planning is a skill that needs to be developed. But then again, it all boils down to TQ. How every aspect of your performance impacts the single aspects of your performance. If I said that right. Because now, I need to align my priorities with my Mission. So that I can prioritze, plan and organize effiicently, and the list goes on.

Dear Annette:
I feel as though I am a disaster when it comes to meeting someone else's expectations. I do realize that we need to meet some of these sometimes, for example, the only way to see if someone could be a nurses assistant (I am using this example because I will be attending school to become a CNA) is for them to pass a test. The problem is that this is not always accurate. Sometimes we just get so nervous before a test that we blank out. Sometimes someone has the written knowledge but doesn't have the skills for the job. I have tried positive self-talk but that didn't change anything. I find that I do better when i'm feeling comfortable, not in a situation with someone who is in authority. First thing to remember is that you really only have to worry about what you expect from YOURSELF. And of course we are human but if you have honestly put in your best effort then (easier said than done) you should be satisfied. One other thing to remember is that I have found if someone makes mistakes with me - I am more understanding and don't even notice it. So maybe the mistake isn't such a big deal to the other person. If you feel you are not capable, let the other person know that you might not meet their expectations and work out ways to avoid a problem. For example, have another worker "on-call" to help if something doesn't work out. I have found that I need to write things down and that extra movement helps put it in my brain. But then of course I lose the paper. I try to explain to people that this is the way I am, but they don't understand except my family who lives with me and see it firsthand. I thought I might have a medical problem like alzheimers, but I went to a website and it's unlikely because I have been this way my entire life, it hasn't been where my memory was good and now it isn't. But that might be something to check out. This problem makes me feel like a failure. Just remember the most important thing -- God doesn't make junk and he made us the way we are. I saw a tee-shirt today that said - Do your best and let God do the rest. Just accept yourself and the fact that we all make mistakes and try not to repeat them. I wish you all the best. Tammie

All the time - I get tripped up - hell
I want it to be better BUT - I keep fallinginto the same ole patterns- damn I gotta get it together = I hope = hope - hope - I know I can but just need the will to do so -
best to all - John R

This is the season to be giving & to be open to receiving. Lately, I have been given much food for thought freely. I have had many invitations to obtain growth; & with self diligence, opening email, reading web sites & purchasing packages of cd's, booklets, vitamins, herbs, homebase business, web conferences, hours of phone calls to celebrate sales & brainstorming, interveiwing & testing, temp working, I still find the connection surprisingly exactly where I started in April. Anxiously, I am anticipating all of the applications coming together, like comparing my growth, feeling the love & friendships, celebrating my success & actually enjoying my own abundance of cash flow. Speaking of flow, I enjoyed reading synchronicityexpert.com the editor has a nice collection of articles.

Well all said with good intentions. I now will focus on what I am, & love her; & I will dream & plan on what I am to be tomorrow, & love her. Depsite it all I still love me!

Routines are what you must do daily to take care of yourself. Shower, exercise, eat nutritious meals and energizing snacks etc, take frequent power breaks and/naps, go for walks, take time to assess your 10 colors, plan today for tomorrow, reconcile your day, identify what went well, what to improve,incorporate that into your next days plan etc. The opera, the football game etc etc. WE do these things every day and time needs to be set aside for them.

We work in our routines around our appointments/commitments/meetings whether with ourselves to accomplish steps towards our goals, to meet project completion deadlines or go to doctor's appointments, or sales/networking meetings/appointments, or special quality time appointments with our children, commitments to others etc. Never forget to include, preparation time and travel time and an element % of time for the unexpected and unknown.

In between all that we book special focused quality time to achieve and complete our activities/priorities, the pieces of the puzzle we choose to accomplish today.

If this seems like a lot, remember that there are 1444 minutes in a day. I book 16 hours per day and the rest together with sleep are not scheduled at all. I let go and let God and thoroughly enjoy as I do most of my day because I am working on what is meaningful to me and others, my market, and feel that I am making a positive and significant difference in my life and that of others. I feel great.

Hope that helps. Huge hugs, lots of love and an abundance of joy and laughter too. GG

I winged it about 98% of the time over the past year of my life. I had idea, but never sat down and wrote out how I would achieve my goal. What a mess I made out of my life! Today, I no longer act in this irresponsible manner. I have learned a powerful lesson about the right way and the wrong way to achieve my life-goals. I refuse to waste my time on the wrong way. Now, I can see the end results of my goals with clarity.

Breathing, I can do that. Lately everywhere I go I see obtainable bottles of liquid oxygen; a bottle for the male (homme) & another for the female (femme); you can even purchase it in a can & inhale... hum... I have all the above & cell food, so boss I am covered. Not to mention I live in the evergreen rain forest! I do my walks on the trail & in the woods & inhale & I take my thumb & touch each finger tip breathing & walking all at the same rythym, each step is a new finger tip & an inhale each time, then the next round exhale, (don't pass out!) Little breaths! I try to get 15 minutes in. Tension buster!

"Common sense is wisdom, & wisdom is different from knowledg. You are wise when you no longer act against yourself. You are wise when you live in harmony with yourself, with your own kind, with all of creation."
~ The Voice of Knowledge, Don Miguel Ruiz

For the first time in my real business life I am able to understand the true importance of goals, planning and the impact they plan on my road to success. I see fully how I have been busy but never accomplishing anything, I have been in constant preparation to get started. These daily reminders are life changing.

I will be 71 on my next B/D on Dec. 7th., and I know that w/o planning, my life would be complete chaos! I am still not as organized as I WANT to be, but I am way ahead of where I used to be, in years past! Four years ago, I weighed 400+ pounds and I sold two of my three businesses, thinking that I was too tired to keep on working! Three years ago tomorrow, Oct. 19th, I had Gastric Bypass surgery! On May 17, 2006, I weighed 217# or 8 pounds less than when I got out of the Marines 44 years ago! I have so much energy that I am getting by on 4-5 hours of sleep where I used to need 9-10! Because of the energy, I started a NEW career, not because I need the money BUT because I got bored sitting around watching the tube or reading (Although I still read 45-60 books a year!) One of the things I used to say when asked,"WHEN am I going to retire?" was that," IF you love what you are doing , it is not work, therefore why retire!" I still feel that way about my new career and feel that I will continue until I get "a facial with a spade"! My advice to all of you out there--Find something that you are truly passionate about and stay with it. It is the real key to happiness! I have never been happier! Butch

Butch, you inspire me. I am 46 and suddenly realizing I need to take charge. I thought I was goal oriented, but its only for work. And I agree about work. I actually have gotten in trouble for working too much, but to me, if its fun, its not work. Its all about attitude and perspective.
Ca19mc62@yahoo.com

And so learning how to do something isn't enough. As the Nike folks
says, you have to "Just Do It".

Here's what this means for you...

Think about how much you'd like to accomplish in life... all the
exciting goals you have ahead of you. But why are so many of them
still "ahead" of you? What's been holding you back?

My colleague Michael Masterson at Early to Rise has the answer.

You see, he's developed a groundbreaking new way of thinking on
this topic called "Ready Fire Aim", and I believe the name says it
all.

Most people take on a new initiative with great enthusiasm
("Ready"), but then they get caught up in endless planning,
planning and more planning ("Aim").

Problem is, energy and enthusiasm for a new project have a limited
lifespan, and if you use it all up tweaking, you'll be out of fuel
just when it's time for action ("Fire").

The key to success is to get moving right away. Michael Masterson
knows this better than perhaps anyone. He's presided over literally
dozens of successful business startups... and seen at least ten times
as many failures.

The one thing the successful ones all had in common was ACTION, not
endless planning and waiting for "just the right moment".

not very much - that is me - I haven't planned anything at all IN MY LIFE - I have been ad libbib and improvising all of my life = wow how did I get here ? wow
iam just sooooooooo glad I am here - I have done so much BUT
I sure didn'tplan it at all - I have just been making it up as I moved hru life - wow - Best to all - John R

I am still in a WOW mode and mood = wow
How did I do it ? I had and have a great family and they have been covering for me all of my life - Thanks to you all - thanks soooo
much - My family - they have always been there for me - and I appreciate it
thanks again to all of the people who have helped me along the way - It has been such a strange trip ( this life ) - so very strange--
I did not plan it that way. wow again - I am here and alive - and so so so lucky to be here. thanks so much - best to all - John R

I spend a variable amount of time planning. My understanding is that creating a list of things to get accomplished every day is very effective, along with telling someone about what is on that list. I also understand that if I start to show up to meetings 15 minutes early in order to get my head straight and my plans for the meeting in order, I can actually create time, due to the efficiency with which the meeting will occur based on the immediate prior planning and organization of thoughts and determined actions.

I spend a lot of time planning - but the time to act on the plan seems to escape me. This weekend, I planned on starting the chapter for my test on Friday in my Hospitality Mangement Program. I got 1 QUESTION DONE!!!!

Excuse? The grandchildren - but the truth was I just did not have the backbone to say Grandma needs to study.

I spend a lot of time planning - but the time to act on the plan seems to escape me. This weekend, I planned on starting the chapter for my test on Friday in my Hospitality Mangement Program. I got 1 QUESTION DONE!!!!

Excuse? The grandchildren - but the truth was I just did not have the backbone to say "Grandma needs to get this done and stick to my planning."

Today my plans are to get all of my daily work done and concentrate on past due accounts and then work on my Accounting course.

This is always a big controversy. Sure it is great to take the time to really plan your day out, but then you invest all of this time in planning, and most of the time the plan never can be followed out, things change...and then it seems like you wasted all of your time..

Because of the incompetency of the world you have to counter act little thieves called time destroyers.(code word... inconsiderate people..that's being nice) Plan your day the night before, visulize each of those tasks or appointments and then be prepared to take on these time destroyers, because they are just waiting out there to ruin your plan. I guess what I'm saying is plan and then plan for the unexpected.

It seems that most of the comments here reflect my similar situation. Planning has always been a shortcoming of mine. I know what I want, but have consistently failed to execute a well laid out plan. I haven't even been consistent with think TQ. I need help. I would be grateful for any and all incouragement anyone can provide.

Lots...not having a solid plan is a formula for failure. It is apparent to myself that guessing and hoping are not great plans. By self confession alone, my personal pipeline of what is, what can be and what really will be has been a prophecy for disaster!

I often let a day slip by because I had no plans. Like today, for instance. I only had one thing to do and it took 2 hours and that was all I accomplished for the day.

But beating myself up over it never makes me feel good nor does it motivate me to better plan tomorrow. So I'm being gentle because I am only human and I have been doing very well. It's a slip-up. I gather my dignity and get back up and I keep on going. Tomorrow will be better than today. Because today, I did not feel good about myself. And I did not make anyone's life any better today. I was kind of nasty.

I do NOT use my schedule as a "magic time machine" because I don't feel like I have any control over it. I ALWAYS feel so pressed and pushed that I'm simply reacting to the shoves. I need to plan ahead, but that steals time from other important things: family, church, etc. This week I will take 1/2 hr to think of what would most impact work this week. I'll do that this evening when it is quieter.

Yes - kinda of...I have opened my own counseling practice and absolutely LOVE what I do. However, I want to expand from a single counselor to a multi-discipline facility. Somehow, I KNOW it is meant to be, yet for the life of me I don't know how to make it happen.
I'm working 40 to 45 hours at the office each day and then another 10 to 20 hours at home on paper work. I have a family of two kids, a husband, two pets and a home. They occupy the rest of my time.
There has got to be something that either I am doing or are not doing that needs to change in order to make the jump without losing myself in the process. Right now, I just don't know what it is. Due to exhaustion, my creative juices seem to be drying up.

I often plan my day, read my Bible, do Daily TQ, and do other "pre" activities for my day--often I do so many of these activities that I never get to my day. To turn this on it's head, sometimes I set a time limit for some or all of these pre activities which enables me to actually get some of my regular things going. That has freed me up and given me a sense of balance.

I kept waiting for my turn to speak up something, sometimes it hard to understand , sometimes it hard to wait for more , for example my soc rehabilitation did not know i was laid off from the job how can he not be waiting to hear from me ?

I really put things off my action plans because I post pone it and did not success to find any help through the life I have been unemployed in four months after my boyfriend's stroke , I have reeked for help and no one seems listen and I did not prepare make any plans for anything I am interested in. that is hardest part of fears and everything.

Yes, I get tripped often. Too many plans, too many Projects and too many Agendas. Some of this is my fault, some are thrust upon my shoulders from family. In the end it becomes almost daunting and I find myself praying for relief.

I suppose if I accepted the belief that I can do it and I will do it, I would be a lot better off. It is just that my compassion for others often trips me up.

In fact, that is why I took the ThinkTQ course, because I realize that my Heart often rules over my head. That makes me less than the most effective businessman. It seems I have to make my passions profitable in order for me to Win to level I desire.

I see where I desire to go and what I want to do, my greatest challenge is writing out the map to get there. In fact, on a daily basis, I map out where I have to drive to before I get in the car.Sometimes I do it the night prior to leaving. I always want to know where I'm going, the best route to take and how long it will take me to get there. I cannot understand what is hindering me from doing the same for my goals and dreams! I am open for suggestions and corrections

I don't pursue anything much. I think it is because I don't believe in myself. I have failed over and over. I try things,bound out of the box all gung ho, then just let it all go and fall back into my failure ways.

So many things in my life right now are in limbo. I can take charge of my attitude and trust the Lord"s plan, I can take care of my health , I feel really run down I can focus on keeping on top of my studies and getting in all my assignments on time I need to feel good about what I am doing so if I put them on my list and check it off daily I will feel better. I want to make time to get some drawing done. It is hard never knowing where home is and living out of a suitcase keeps that limbo state feeling. One of my "fantasies " was to just check in to a place be away from people and sketch If I changed my attitude about things I could be doing that right now..

I struggle with this one. I am too often fulfilling obligations to those I love putting off dreams for so long I am not sure what I want anymore. I feel like as long as I stay close to the Lord and what I do is learning and growing the doors will open. I am taking care of elderly parents, back in school at 62 and working every job opportunity that comes along.
I am starting to feel like I am going in too many directions. Last weeks lesson on goals prompted me to be focused on the moment and take care of my health (I am tired,) so I have made a commitment that is what I will focus on this week-.eat well, get some exercise and get to bed.I at least felt more accomplished.
I am on top of my studies and I just have to feel good about that. Next semester I might l lighten the load so I can get more structure in the job market. The way it is I am too flexible for everyone else and I am worried all the time because it feel to "hand to Mouth living" I am never home that get old after a while.

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